Tony Blair Faith Foundation

On the 8-9th September, the Foundation co-hosted a ground breaking conference on faith and malaria with Yale University which was sponsored by KPMG. Other partner organisations included the Centre for Interfaith Action on Global Poverty in Washington DC and the Yale World Fellows.

DFID, The Tony Blair Faith Foundation Islamic Relief, World Vision and Oxfam are working together in association with the RSA to host 6 groundbreaking seminars to discuss the new perspectives emerging on Faith and Development. The next seminar will be addressing the very pertinent theme of how faith fits into health and education.

The Challenge: religion’s different and complex faces Harsh images from different corners of the world, as far apart as northeast Pakistan, Maiduguri, Nigeria, Mindanao, Philippines, and Sao Paolo, Brazil, suggest that much contemporary violence has religious faces. Yet peace is perhaps religion’s most beloved precept.

The variety of ways which this festival is celebrated enables us to encounter some powerful lessons about our common humanity, and our relationship with the world around us. The celebration of Lakshmi Puja reminds us of the importance of prosperity, and how we can use our wealth for the benefit of all.

On Saturday the 17th of October I attended the Katina Ceremony at Samadhi Meditation Centre in Edmonton.  This was my first visit to a Buddhist Temple so I wasn’t sure what to expect.  The Temple was a small terrace house which from the outside looked like any other.  Inside I was welcomed enthusiastically and handed a huge bunch of flowers to carry in the procession.  Once everyone had gathered, we set off for the local church hall which was better equipped to accommodate the ever growing community of this small but lively Sri Lankan Buddhist centre.  There, as

Divine Impulses: Tony Blair on Living Through Politics. Blair on the spiritual purpose of public service and why he converted to Catholicism after he left office.  

Divine Impulses: Tony Blair on Interfaith work, Islam in EU. The former UK Prime Minister and founder of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation talks about how to combat extremism within and among other religions.  

Blair talks with Sally Quinn about growing up the son the son of a protestant and an aethiest, and how he found religion through reason.  

   The Tony Blair Faith Foundation, DFID, Islamic Relief, World Vision and Oxfam are working together to host 6 groundbreaking seminars to discuss the new perspectives emerging on Faith and Development. In a recent Gallup poll, 82% of those surveyed in sub-Saharan Africa said their most trusted institution was a religious organisation (Gallup 2008). In Mozambique Reverend Herminio describes the interfaith training around Malaria that begins with a Muslim prayer and ends with a Christian blessing but most importantly equips faith leaders to teach their congregations about malaria co

Speech by the Rt Hon Tony Blair to "A Common Word Between Us and You: A Global Agenda for Change" Georgetown University, Washington DC, 7 October 2009 A Common Word is the largest Muslim interfaith initiative towards Christians to date, has provided Muslims and Christians with a framework to address religious, historical, social and practical issues between two world communities. Check against delivery We, Christians and Muslims, represent around half the world's population.